I recently got this email:

Hi Eric,

My wife and I play music and lead worship together and I’ve wanted to upgrade her piano game for some time. Do you have any thoughts on the full 88-key or is the 76 an okay option? We play around a bit so I could see advantage of having one less octave to carry, but was curious your thoughts on that as someone who plays a bunch.

Thanks, Clark

Hi Clark,

Thanks so much for reaching out! Here’s a few thoughts:

First, What’s The Same

Everything on both keyboards is exactly the same when it comes to the synth engines, the controls, the inputs, and the outputs. The only difference is the keybed, the dimensions and the weight. Here we go:

The Nord Stage 3 88

Weight: 41.8 lb

Number of keys: 88

Dimensions: 50.7"x 13"x 4.7"

Key type: hammer action fully weighted

Pros: luxurious piano playing experience, similar to a nice upright piano. Not terrible weight as full size keyboards go.

Cons: heavier than other models. Some people believe the action is a little on the light side compared to Roland or Yamaha digital pianos.

Thoughts: I’ve owned full size Nord Stage and Nord Stage 2 keyboards, and have loved them for their hammer action realism and playability. When testing The Nord Stage 3, I felt the action was a little lighter than previous models but still really expressive. In a perfect world where I didn’t have to move it much, The Nord Stage 3 would easily be my first choice.

The Nord Stage 3 HP76

Weight: 27.5 lb

Number of keys: 76

Dimensions:  44” x 13.6"x 5"

Key type: hammer action portable

Pros: compact size and light weight allow for easy transport. It even fits within the dimensions of checked luggage on airplanes.

Cons: very very stiff key action, to the point of limiting playability at times.

Thoughts: I personally bought this Nord because of the ability to take it easily on the road, and I love the way it sounds live. The biggest drawback is the action, which is extremely stiff and can actually hinder me occasionally when doing quick runs. Still, I’ve had no problem using it on several hundred shows at this point. I thought I’d miss the extra keys, but found that rarely do I need them.

The Nord Stage 3 73 Compact

Weight: 22 Lbs

Number of keys: 73

Dimensions: 42” x 12” x 4”

Key type: semi-weighted

Pros: extremely light, throw-under-your-arm convenience.

Cons: if you’re used to playing a real piano, this will take some getting used to.

Thoughts: I’ve only had a chance to personally play this model a couple times (it’s rare to find them in the wild) but I’ve really enjoyed it. The action is very light, but still just as expressive as all the other models. I personally missed the three extra notes, but your mileage may vary.

Good luck with your search, Clark!